NATURAL RESOURCES
Introduction
Resources obtained from nature are called natural resources and are very essential
for survival on earth for human being. Natural resources are air, water, sunlight,
forest, land, rock, soil, petroleum, metal and minerals. Land, sunlight, wind and
rock have unlimited availability on the earth.
Apart from these resources, other natural resources are divided in two
categories:
Renewal Resources: Renewal resources are those which can be reproduced
and regenerated by the efforts of people and some kind of extra care. These
resources are plants, fresh air, water, land and animals.
Non-Renewable Resources: Non-renewable resources are those which are
limited in quantity and never be regained either from earth or by human
efforts. These resources are petroleum, coal, minerals and metals.
Biotic resources: These resources are those natural resources which are
obtained from global system and have life-like plants, trees and animal.
Abiotic resources: These resources are those natural resources which are
non-living like, air, water, land, soil, minerals and metals.
Important Natural Resources:
Although all natural resources are important for us, there are some
which are of extreme importance given their utility in our lives.
Air: - Air is one such resource. The oxygen we breathe, the carbon
dioxide required by plants for photosynthesis all come from the air
only. Survival without air being around us is just impossible. In fact,
the unique combination of different gases in the atmosphere is what
makes earth a liveable planet.
Soil: - Soil is a sustainable natural resource. Man depends on
agriculture for food, clothing, medicine and a number of other
different requirements. The land is being utilized for both
industrialization and urbanization. We should, however, realize that
the surface of the earth is restricted as is its soil. Irregular and
unnecessary chopping down of trees, mining for minerals and metals
which get washed away due to rains deplete the soil of the rich
nutrients. This affects the quality of plants as they do not get the
required minerals from the soil. It might even lead to avalanches in
snowy or hilly areas causing substantial damage to human beings as
well as other life forms in the surroundings.
Moreover, due to improper agricultural practices, we often produce
many crops of a similar type without renewing the nutrients that are
consumed by plants from the land. In such cases, the soil gets
depleted of the nutrients and over the time may even become
infertile. In such events, due to lack of continued agriculture in such
regions, the soil is often washed away with rains or wind, causing soil
disintegration. Although soil is a renewable resource, we should
make our efforts to protect this important layer on the surface of the
earth.
Water: - Water is another important natural resource which is vital for
the existence of life on the earth. In fact, there is not a viable
alternative for water. Man utilizes water for drinking as well as for
various different activities such as showering, cooking, washing,
water system and furthermore as a method for transportation through
ships.
Our water requirement is satisfied by nature itself. There are no other
means of water other than nature. We get water through precipitation and
from seas, streams, channels and wells. At whatever point the water-cycle
never stops, the environmental equalization in nature is disturbed. This
affects the availability of water which directly affects all living beings in the
surroundings.
Forests: - Forests are a standout amongst the most valuable
resources. They are our national assets. They give the best living
space to different sorts of wild creatures.
Forests are an unquestionable requirement for the survival of most of
the life. Although we don’t live in forests, yet they are important for
us. They filter air, control contamination to some degree, manage the
atmosphere, control surges, avoid soil disintegration and keep up soil
ripeness. We additionally get various helpful items like wood, elastic,
gum, nectar, honey bee wax, restorative plants, bamboo, lac,
medicinal plants and so on from plants. A standout amongst the most
vital employments of woods is that it helps in keeping up the
biological uniformity of a place.
Threats to Natural Resources:
Overuse as well as misuse of natural resources due to human activities
over the years, have led to the near extinction of valuable natural
resources. Natural resources are being depleted so fast it may not be
possible for future generations to make use of them. Different species
have been affected due to these changes in temperature and climatic
conditions.
The significant impact of environmental change and dangerous
atmospheric changes in natural resources has affected the biodiversity
and the survival of species. For example, wildlife that requires cool
temperatures in high altitudes has been finding it difficult to survive due
to the increase in temperatures. Also, many species have become
extinct as they could not adapt themselves to the changing
environment. This has mainly been due to our overuse of natural
resources.
Conclusion:
Natural resources are excessively basic for our survival on this
planet. Without them, we can’t imagine our human life. All natural
resources are either specifically or in a certain way associated with
others. A few natural resources are produced or extracted from
different resources, for instance, oxygen and wood are produced by
plants and trees, energy can be produced from wind, water and
sunlight.Similarly, coal is extracted from the earth.
It is our utmost duty to protect natural resources. There are already
some laws in place, formed by the Government in this regard. We
just need to follow those regulations and not wait others to lead us.
We must realise that it is the availability of these resources that life
has been possible on the earth
